Bari Vecchia
Destination
Attractions
Sustainability
How to get here
Accommodation
Food
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Destination
Enjoy the sunny relaxing breeze in a place where land and sea meet: Bari Vecchia. Also called “Borgo Antico” (Ancient Town), is the charming old quarter situated at the end of a peninsula between two modern harbors crowded into a maze of narrow streets.
The ancient city can trace its roots back more than 2,000 years when it was founded by the Peucetii tribe. It had strong Greek influences and once it passed under Romans in the 3rd century BC, it developed strategic significance as the point of junction between the coast road and the Via Traiana and as a port for eastward trade. It is a door to the east.
Attractions
The first thing to visit in Bari Vecchia is the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, an important pilgrimage destination both for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians from Eastern Europe. The basilica was built, in Romanesque style, between 1087 and 1197 to recover relics of Saint Nicholas from the saint’s original shrine in Myra, Turkey. When Myra passed into the hands of the Saracens, 62 sailor men decided to move the saint’s relics to a safer location. The saint’s body is supposed to exude a kind of holy oil called “sacra manna” and you can buy bottles of this remarkable liquid in the church shop next door.
Address: Largo Abate Elia 13, Bari.Official site:
Among its picturesque old houses are several dozen churches and even more shrines hidden in its walls and tiny squares. It is easy to get lost, but the area is small enough that you are sure to find your way out quickly.
The lanes close to the Basilica are the most touristy, with a line of little souvenir shops. On the other side of the church is a pleasant walkway along the old town walls with views over a road to the sea: this is a nice stroll if the narrow lanes are making you feel claustrophobic.
Attracting less attention than the church of San Nicola, but just as interesting, is the Cathedral Church of San Sabino, which has important remains of Norman ornamentation. Begun after the 11th-century Byzantine cathedral on this site was destroyed by William I of Sicily in 1156, it was completed at the end of the 12th century. Adjoining the crypt is the Succorpo della Cattedrale di Bari, archaeological excavations under the cathedral revealing layers of history from Roman through medieval times. The finds include a paleo-Christian mosaic floor and a tiny chapel and altar. A small section of an original Roman road has also been uncovered.
Address: Piazza dell’Odegitria 1, Bari.
On the west side of the old town is the Castello Svevo, a fortress by the sea reconstructed by Frederick II in 1233 in Norman-Swabian style. The building now houses an interesting museum with copies of Apulian-Norman sculptures and temporary art exhibitions.
Address: Piazza Federico Di Svezia 2, Bari. Official site:
https://musei.puglia.beniculturali.it/musei/castello-svevo-di-bari
At the edge of Borgo Vecchio is the pleasant Piazza Mercantile, whose plentiful sidewalk cafés and restaurants are popular local meeting places. Not so pleasant was the fate of petty criminals and debtors who in the Middle Ages were tied to the Colonna della Giustizia, a column in the corner of the piazza, for public ridicule. A much-worn stone lion stands beside the column.
Piazza Mercantile blends at one end into Piazza del Ferrarese, where you will find the triple apse of the Romanesque Vallisa church, one of the city’s oldest. These lovely squares are a major nightlife district for young people.
Not far from the Borgo Antico (30 minutes’ walk 10 minutes with public transport) you will enjoy sun tanning on the public beach Pane e Pomodoro. (bread and tomato). In another beach, Torre Quetta you can take Sup Surf, Windsurf or Kitesurf lessons.
https://swite.com/scuolasurfbigairbari
You can also enjoy canoeing, in Barion Sporting Club” close to the Old Town.
http://www.canottieribarion.it/contatti
Sustainability
In Bari Vecchia cars and motor vehicles are not allowed. Here green travellers can find sustainable accommodations run by local people, that try to reduce waste by recycling, and take care of the heritage of the place, creating a network between guests and the local community.
To move from the modern city to the Old Town, a new e-scooter mobility sharing service is now available. Most of the electric scooters to hire are “zero kilometres” items as they are 100% Italian, built-in Bari. This service guarantees smart, simple, cheap, eco-friendly mobility.
Touring by Bike
You can move through the winding streets of the Old Town by bike or in a comfortable and modern Rickshaw
(to rent a bike or a rickshaw): www.veloservice.org
Touring on Foot
Combine a walking tour of the city’s top tourist attractions with a chance to learn how to make the local pasta. After visiting the main landmarks and the seafront, stop at a local home to learn the secrets of making orecchiette. These “little ears” are the traditional local pasta dish. If you wander around slowly, you will still see elderly women at their windows and doorways preparing it. You will find orecchiette on the menu in every restaurant you visit, but to really understand how it is made, why not join an authentic cooking class?
Address: Strada Arco Basso 1/25, Bari.
How to get here
Reach Bari by train
Several railway lines end in Bari, in Piazza Aldo Moro in the city Centre (15 minutes’ walk from Bari Vecchia):
Trenitalia, the national railway network in Italy, uses the central station, Bari Centrale, and connects Bari with Italian and European destinations.
Remember to stamp your tickets on the machines in the station before boarding the train.
Reach Bari by plane
Karol Wojtyła Airport (in Bari-Palese) is an international airport used by low-cost airlines.
Taxi to the Old Town costs € 25-30, but there are buses (line 16, 1 €, ~ 35min) and a new metro service (5 €, ~ 20 minutes) that connects the airport to the railway station in the centre of Bari.
Reach Bari by car
From the A14 motorway coming from the north or from the south: take the Bari-Sud exit and follow the signs for the Bari ring-road towards Brindisi and then for the city centre.
The Municipality of Bari has made it possible for drivers to park & ride in the suburbs and reach the Old Town with a “shuttle bus”.
http://www.amtab.it/2015-09-30-17-04-00/park-ride
Reach Bari by sea
Bari is the destination for ferries arriving from the Greek port of Patras and Igoumenitsa.
There are also ships for Bar and Kotor (Montenegro), Dubrovnik (Croatia) and for Durres (Albania). Ferry operators are: Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Azzurraline and Jadrolinija .
Bari is the destination for important cruises (COSTA and MSC CRUISE)
To the Old Town
From the station and the Modern City to the Old Town you can use:
Urban bus services managed by a company called AMTAB. An electric shuttle service connects the various bus terminals centrally located.
http://www.amtab.it/2015-09-30-17-04-00/linee-e-orari
Electronic scooter mobility sharing service
https://www.dadoda.it/, https://www.bitmobility.it/app-monopattino-elettrico-bari
You will also find it possible to reach the Old Town on foot (20 minutes’ walk from the railway station) and explore bits of Bari.
Accommodation
B&BS
La Muraglia B&B
In the Old Town, just off the seafront promenade and close to the main attractions.
Il Trespolo Degli Angeli
Hhidden among the winding lanes in the heart of the Old Town, you can have breakfast on the terrace overlooking views of Bari.
https://iltrespolodegliangeli.jimdofree.com
MUREX B&B
Close to the Swabian Castle
HOSTELS
Ostello Bari centrale
about 1 km from Piazza del Ferrarese (Old Town).
https://cconforthotels.com/bari/ostello-host-bari-centrale-bari
Olive Tree Hostel
Via Crisanzio No. 90. In the City centre, not far from the old town.
Food
In the Old Town you can enjoy all the street food: Focaccia, panzerotti, popizze, sgagliozze … you could easily survive without having a proper sit-down meal!
Café and pizza houses
Caffè Barruchelli
Piazza del ferrarese No. 3
La Ciclatera Sotto il Mare
Via Venezia No. 16
Pizzeria Buenallegre
Via Re Manfredi No. 6, Bari
L’Osteria del Borgo Antioco
Piazza Mercantile No. 15, Bari
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TORRE GUACETO
Destination
Attractions
Sustainability
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Destination
A Nature Sanctuary Between Land and Sea
Torre Guaceto, located along the Adriatic coast of Upper Salento, almost 30 kilometres away from Brindisi, is a nature reserve.
This stretch of coast, six kilometres long, includes a landscape going from the sea beyond the dunes, through the Mediterranean maquis and the marshes, to a centuries-old olive grove.
Transparent sea and expanses of Posidonia Oceanica wash Torre Guaceto, a beach awarded 3 Sails (a prize given to the most beautiful beaches) by Legambiente (Italian environment protection association).
The heart of the Protected Marine Area of Torre Guaceto is a natural paradise with a low and sandy coast, surrounded by dunes and sometimes dotted with cliffs.
Several coves with fine sand seduce you: Seashells Beach is the pride of the reserve, with tiny white seashells fully protected area with bathing prohibition.
The Torre Guaceto Marine Protected Area was created with the aim of offering a model of sustainable development.
The law identifies three zones, Zone A Integral Reserve, Zone B Oriented General Reserve, Zone C of protection, Zone D areas of economic and social promotion.
Zone A These are highly natural areas with high scientific and landscape value where the primary objective is the integral conservation with low human interference. Here monitoring of ecological processes and environmental education activities are carried out. It is absolutely forbidden to access vehicles and people without specific authorization. Here swimming is also forbidden.
Zone B These are areas characterized by environments slightly modified by human action with high environmental value. Vehicles and people cannot access from sunset to sunrise and fishing is also prohibited.
Zone C These are areas characterized by environments modified by human action. The main management objectives are: restoration of nature; scientific research and monitoring; traditional agricultural activity, limited to the areas currently cultivated; didactic-tourist activity. Zone C is the area where bathing and sustainable fishing are allowed.
People with disabilities can enjoy the beautiful nature of Torre Guaceto thanks to the services offered by the private beach Punta Penna Grossa.
Attractions
The Aragonese tower of Guaceto, a symbol of the Reserve, is the largest of the so-called “square-based viceregal” built-in Terra d’Otranto during the reign of Charles V, to defend the coasts from the raids of the Turks.
The tower is in a strategic position that allows you to control the harbour bay sheltered from the winds of the northern quadrants. From this position, the tower was able to communicate visually with the closest coastal positions Torre Santa Sabina and Torre Testa.
You can arrange a night visit to the Nature Reserve, between science and poetry. An unusual experience in direct contact with nature.
Archaeological Sites
- Santa Sabina (Roman Age) In the territory near Via Traiana, there are several caves in the area, several finds belonging to the ancient Messapi population, golden and silver coins, an Egyptian coin, the statue of a Roman goddess, and fifteen funnel-shaped graves have been discovered.
- Torre Guaceto (Roman Age) For its position between the sea and Via Traiana, this location was used by the Romans as a harbour. Archaeological area of considerable importance, here agricultural goods (oil, wine, wheat) were boarded together with amphorae which were produced along the coast, like those found in the south, in Apani.
Castles
- Dentice di Frasso Castle Situated in a high position and incorporated into the urban walls system, it was built at the end of the 14th century on a more ancient nucleus dating back to the 11th century.
- Serranova Castle was built by the middle-class nobleman Ottavio Serra. It preserves inside an 18th-century wooden crucifix to which the citizens are particularly devoted since they believe it works miracles: during the periods of drought, the church becomes a destination for pilgrims.
Churches
- Maria Santissima di Belvedere Sanctuary Built on pre-existing rupestrian crypts, it is painted with frescoes imitating the Byzantine style.
- Sant’Anna Church (17th century)
- Carmine Church (17th century) Along the main avenue of the town, we can admire inside it frescoes dating back to the 17th century and representing the Last Supper.
- Matrice Church (16th century) The building is dedicated to the Assumption and is situated along the road linking Porta Brindisi to Porta Nuova.
Sustainability
Torre Guaceto includes a marine reserve and a terrestrial reserve, both with high levels of biodiversity, and is home to many animal species. In October 2019, the Blue Park Award was given to the Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve by one of the most important bodies in the world for the conservation of marine environments, the Marine Conservation Institute in Oslo.
This protected area is part of the Blue Parks network which includes 16 protected areas around the world, committed to safeguarding marine fauna, protecting critical habitats, and promoting resistance to climate change.
Torre Guaceto boasts one of the richest ecosystems in Mediterranean biodiversity, including seagrass meadows and Mediterranean coral formations; the beaches are characterized by uncontaminated dunes up to 10 meters high, and there are numerous species of fauna that populate them. The reserve is also the ideal place for the nutrition and reproduction of the Caretta sea turtle. In the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre MPA wounded turtles and other suffering wild animals are treated.
There are several sustainable activities that can take place 365 days a year here. The offer ranges from snorkelling, sailing, guided tours, bird watching, events, to the displaced visit of the reserve itself thanks to the new visitor centre. (http://www.cooperativathalassia.com/index.php/ecoturismo/centro-visite-torre-guaceto)
One of the most popular events among those organized every year by the park’s managing body, is the Earth and Sea Market (three days in August). Protagonists of the Earth and Sea Markets are the producers included in the food communities of the Terra Madre network, in the circuit of educational farms and the bio itinerary of the Province of Brindisi who have the possibility of managing an exhibition space for sale and tasting of the Typical organic slow-food products of Puglia.
Piazza dei Mercati in Torre Guaceto represents the arrival point of a long research between food, sustainability, and art. A multidisciplinary event, which since its first edition has shown all its many potentialities (in the last editions there has been an average of 20 thousand presences). The event is not addressed only to quality food enthusiasts, but also to the little ones with courses of education on food, sustainability, and the fight against waste.
Tour by bike in the Nature Reserve
In Torre Guaceto, the pleasure of cycling is combined with the discovery of the landscapes of the Reserve. Cycling along the paths of the Mediterranean scrub and the cattle tracks that cross the centuries-old olive grove will be a bit like travelling through time until you reach a bygone era. The use of the bicycle allows you to embrace the biodiversity of the park in its entirety, without problems of imperceptible distances and too tight times. The trails can be gone through in three hours and the itinerary develops for about 10 km, intermediate-easy difficulty level.
The Little Train by the Sea
Tour by train with departure from Punta Penna Grossa beach and the Service Area of Apani. The itinerary includes a stop at the seashell beach for a reinvigorating swim, continues heading for Torre Aragonese on foot, and ends at the Gaw Sit spring.
Sea Watching
Dive into the blue Mediterranean Sea to collect impressions and emotions. The suggested activity consists of a snorkelling experience which is a diving experience with a diving mask, flippers, and mouthpiece. Suitable also for not very expert divers.
Guided tour on foot in the Nature Reserve
The tour develops among trails of Mediterranean maquis, leading to peaceful beaches. You will then reach the Tower where you will enjoy a wonderful panorama. The walk ends in the silent trails of the mysterious cane thicket. During summer, there is a stop for a swim in one of the most suggestive coves of the Marine Protected Area.
Museum under the Stars
Observation of the night sky and workshop to build scientifically valid astronomical equipment by using easily available materials. The activities will be led by an expert in astronomy.
In Torre Guaceto you can:
- Bath in areas C and B, not in area A. To recognize the area you are in, look at the signs, or, more simply, remember that the beaches in area A are the lagoon of the Aragonese tower and the first cove.
- Relax and have fun from sunrise to sunset.
- Go walking, running, cycling everywhere except on the dunes and in the terrestrial zone A, always remember to look at the signs to understand in which area you are.
- Perform the following activities: snorkelling, trekking, and cycle trekking.
In Torre Guaceto you must ask the Consortium for authorization ( segreteria@riservaditorreguaceto.it ) to:
- Raise a drone in flight.
- Practice sport or professional fishing
- Make professional photographic, cinematographic and television footage, for commercial or for-profit purposes
- Do a scuba diving
- Organize guided tours
In Torre Guaceto you cannot
- Light fires;
- Bring your pet, its presence would damage the wildlife that lives in the reserve;
- Remove natural elements: look at the flowers, but do not touch them, admire the animals from afar, do not approach less than 25 meters from the nests of Fratino birds, do not scare the animals, do not use nets at sea, not even for do not collect shells
- Exercise commercial activities, organize games, recreational events
- Access with motor vehicle neither at sea, nor on land
- Improperly use voice diffusion systems and acoustic or sound signals.
How to get here
Located between the cities of Brindisi and Carovigno, the protected area is easily accessible from the most important local and international communication routes.
Tourists can reach Brindisi both by sea, the city has a port, or by plane, (the Reserve is located 20 km from Brindisi airport and 112 from Bari), and by car or train (the Reserve is located 20 km from the Brindisi railway station, 8 km from the Carovigno station and 99 km from the Bari station). by car: to reach the Al Gawsit Visitor Centre from the SS n. 379 Bari-Brindisi-Lecce take the Serranova exit and continue towards Serranova;
for the Reserve from the SS 379 Bari-Brindisi-Lecce, take the Torre Guaceto-Punta Penna Grossa exit and take the coplanar seaside to the area’s services area, or always from the SS 379 take the Apani exit and continue to the area services area.
The Reserve is organized in reception services (service areas and car parks, intermodal exchanges, sustainable mobility https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.1752527,16.7116703/Parcheggio+alternativo+Torre+Guaceto,+Str.+per+Baccatani,+72100+Brindisi+BR), in catering services based on the culture of slow food (Punta Penna Grossa beach) and in services to deepen the knowledge of the area (Al Gawsit Visitor Center, Aragonese Tower museum and activities). The Visitor Centre welcomes groups of students to organize environmental education activities and sensory itineraries integrating the guided visits to the Nature Reserve. http://www.cooperativathalassia.com/index.php/scuole/percorsi-didattici
The equipped multimedia hall gives the opportunity to carry out new and interactive educational activities.
Accommodation
Hotels
- Albergo Ristorante Carbrun *** Carovigno (BR)
- Hotel Villa Jole *** Carovigno (BR)
- Il Timone Hotel Ristorante *** Carovigno (BR)
- Hotel Residence Monacelle Carovigno (BR)
Bed&Breakfast
- La Caletta B&B Carovigno (BR)
Campsites
- Camping Villaggio Lamaforca **** Carovigno (BR)
- Camping Bahia *** Carovigno (BR)
Tourist villages
- Meditur Village & Camping **** Carovigno (BR)
Flats
- Terrarossa Ceglie Messapica (BR)
Holiday houses
- Villa Mediterranea San Vito dei Normanni (BR)
Holiday Farms
- Agriturismo Masseria Mitrano Brindisi (BR)
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VALLE D'ITRIA
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Destination
VALLE D’ITRIA: MAGICAL LANDSCAPE AND ANCIENT TRADITIONS
The Valle D’Itria (Itria Valley) is a territory on the Murge plateau in Italy, characterized by a uniformly traditional and beautiful landscape containing several towns that have received numerous national and international awards for their sustainability, beauty, history, and culture. Towns and villages are characterized by a traditional architecture style comprising trulli (conical dry-stone houses) and farmhouses, which symbolize the Apulia region.
The territory of the Valle d’Itria LAG extends for 532,20 square kilometres, from the balcony of the Ionian to the Adriatic coast, through hills and monumental olive trees.
You can go caving in the area around Castellana, where long tunnels snake 70 meters (200 feet) below ground or go trekking among the rupestrian settlements of Fasano, some of the largest in Puglia and finally, relax in thermal baths at Torre Canne and in the local marine nature reserves.
Attractions
GROTTE DI CASTELLANA
These spectacular limestone caves, 40 km southeast of Bari, are Italy’s longest natural subterranean network. The interlinked galleries, first discovered in 1938, contain an incredible range of underground landscapes, with extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations – look out for the jellyfish, the bacon, and the stocking. The highlight is the Grotta Bianca (White Grotto), an eerie alabaster cavern hung with stiletto-thin stalactites. ‘Speleonights’ take small torch-wielding groups into the caves after dark. Not to be missed Hell in the Cave, a fascinating show inspired by Dante’s Inferno. http://www.hellinthecave.it/
LOCOROTONDO
Designated as one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, Locorotondo is a whitewashed hilltop town. Centrally located between the other lovely towns, you can make Locorotondo your base for your time in Valle d’Itria. In Locorotondo buildings are all white and even the streets are paved with white stones. The old city radiates out around the 19th century neoclassical Chiesa Madre San Giorgio, a church dedicated to the patron saint of the city. At the edge of the historical center is the oldest church in the city, Chiesa Madonna della Greca, a 15th century church with a unique stone-carved rose window. Since Locorotondo is perched on a hill, you can get great views of the surrounding countryside.
ALBEROBELLO
Alberobello is the best-known town in the region, and for a good reason. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alberobello has over 1,500 densely packed trulli—circular stone buildings with conical tops that are built without mortar. These buildings are unique to the Valle d’Itria and were originally built as field shelters or for storage, and in some cases as dwellings for rural families. Since trulli are generally found dotting the countryside and never in such a large concentration, Alberobello certainly makes for an unusual sight. The majority of the trulli are clustered in two neighborhoods—over 1,000 are in Rione Monti and another 400 are in Rione Aia Piccola. The two neighbourhoods are very different from one another in those commercial activities such as restaurants and souvenir shops are allowed in Rione Monti, while Rione Aia Piccola remains much quieter and primarily residential.
There are two excellent museums in Alberobello that provide a better understanding of the trulli. In Rione Aia Piccola, the Museo del Territorio consists of several interconnected trulli, formerly belonging to the personal doctor of a local Count and provides information on the history and construction of the structures, as well as background on Alberobello as a settlement. Trullo Sovrano is a smaller museum located in the only two-story trullo. Built in the 18th century for the local priest, the central dome rises 14 meters and is surrounded by several interconnected trulli. The museum shows how each space would have been used when the trullo was as a residence.
Sant’Antonio Church in Alberobello
OSTUNI: the white city
Ostuni: an endless sequence of arches, towers, quaint houses, courtyards, roof-terraces, alleys, small shops and noble palazzos. Ostuni appears as a mirage, standing splendidly on a hillside rising from a green plateau covered with olive trees and that eventually dives into the blue of the Adriatic Sea. Take a stroll down the narrow streets and admire the beautiful courtyards and piazzas crowned with small white houses, artisans’ workshops and restaurants that prepare flavorful roasts and seasonal vegetables. Life is serene here, filled with the fragrances and flavors of yore.
Arco Stoppa in Ostuni
CISTERNINO
Cisternino has also been designated as one of the country’s most beautiful cities (borgo più bello d’Italia), and you find lots of small alleyways for wandering in the centro storico. You shouldn’t miss a visit to the historic Chiesa di San Nicola. Moreover, you can get good views of the countryside from Piazza Garibaldi, across the street from the church. The Torre Civica, the Norman Swabian tower which helped to protect the city, is next to the church as well.
Crochet decorations close to the Chiesa di San Nicola in Cisternino
MARTINA FRANCA
Martina Franca is the highest town on the Murgia plateau, and until the unification of Italy in 1861 it was a walled city with 24 towers and four gates, evidence of which you can still see today. A bit bigger than the neighboring towns, it has long been the commercial center of the region, which is evident in the numerous buildings and churches found in the city.
San Domenico Church in Martina Franca
July and August are ideal for a visit to the beautiful baroque town of Martina Franca for the Valle d’Itria Festival, with its programme of new operas. (https://www.festivaldellavalleditria.it/en)
In Augus, during the Piano Lab Festival, the lovely ancient streets in Martina Franca are “invaded” by pianos where everybody, from famous artists to young students, can sit and play in an enchanting environment (https://pianolab.me/)
PUTIGNANO celebrates the oldest carnival in Europe, and the longest in Italy, from 26 December to Shrove Tuesday. Complete your tour with a stroll around the historic centre of
CONVERSANO to admire its wonderful Apulian Romanesque architecture of the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral, the medieval castle and the magnificent paintings inspired by Fenoglio’s “Gerusalemme Liberata”.
Take a break in the plain of FASANO and stop in a “masseria”, a historical manor farm that has been transformed into a wellness resort. These ancient homes, hidden in gardens of aromatic herbs, have a story to tell, and their terraces offer breathtaking views. The fascinating Fasano plains are covered with olive trees and very close to the sea
Let your senses guide you in the discovery of different habitats: centuries-old olive groves and pastures, fossil dunes, and enchanting beaches. Plunge into history at EGNAZIA and dive into transparent waters near the archeological sites.
Sustainability
Many coast locations in Valle D’Itria have been proud bearers of Blue Flags for years: Fasano, Egnazia, Ostuni, Carovigno with their enchanting beaches, etc. Blue Flags are awarded to tourist coast locations all over the world, which can boast not only crystal-clear sea, but also services and respect for the international standards established by the FEE, an international NGO (Foundation for Environmental Education). These standards include efficiency of water purification Sewerage and sewerage network, separate collection, vast Pedestrian areas, cycle paths, careful urban furniture, and green areas.
The Itria Valley, thanks to a territorial Gal project, can be travelled by bicycle, or on foot, through a 300 km cycle path. The added value of this cycle path is, in fact, the Apulian Aqueduct corridor, dating back to 1906, which for 20 kilometres, starting from Figazzano, accompanies us on that path between Locorotondo and Grottaglie, in the heart of the Itria Valley and crosses the municipal areas of Cisternino, Ostuni, Ceglie Messapica, Martina Franca and Villa Castelli. You ride in the peasant history of these places on ancient canal bridges, admiring the splendid and suggestive panoramas, along paths that cover the pipelines of that Aqueduct that carries Sele water from Irpinia to Puglia. (http://www.aqp.bike/tracciato/)
In this territory, the idea of the integrated management of environmental and cultural heritage is being tested using a “sistema ambiente e culturale” (SAC – Environmental and Cultural System) known as «La Murgia dei Trulli dal Mare alla valle d’Itria». The goal of the SAC is to activate a sustainable development process based on a well-organised and integrated network of cultural and environmental assets, as well as local private and public actors. In this part of Puglia, the close relationship between the city and the countryside is still alive.
How to get here
The easiest way to reach Valle D’Itria is to fly to Bari, a small international airport serviced by several standard and low-cost airlines. The airport is connected by train directly to downtown Bari and most rental car companies are right in the terminal. There’s also an international airport in Brindisi, but it appears to be even smaller. If travelling to Puglia from within Italy, there are high-speed trains from Milan and Rome to Bari, Monopoli, Ostuni, and Lecce, then some local trains to a few of the smaller towns as an alternative.
Because so much of the charm of Valle d’Itria lies in the countryside and the variety of small, hilltop towns, it should be the best way to rent a car to get around.
Accommodation
In Locorotondo, Sotto Le Cummerse is a unique “diffused hotel”: about a dozen recently renovated apartments are spread throughout the compact old town. But, like a hotel, there’s a central office, a pretty space where breakfast is served, and daily housekeeping. Via Vittorio Veneto, 138, 70010 Locorotondo BA (https://www.sottolecummerse.it/).
Ceglie Messapica is well-known for its restaurants where you can taste the most genuine and typical Apulian cuisine:
Masseria Montedoro S.S. 581 Ceglie Messapica – Martina Franca Cell. 348 5190933.(Situated in the countryside, It’s a perfect place for families and groups of young people who want to spend some days in the countryside, didactic labs are carried out)
(http://www.masseriamontedoro.it/)
Cibus Restaurant (https://www.ristorantecibus.it/menu-cibus.asp)
Ostuni:
Il Pilone Camping Village (https://www.villaggioilpilone.it/index_eng.html)
Hotel Incanto situated in the panoramic Strada dei Colli (http://www.hotelincanto.it/)
Taverna della Gelosia restaurant (https://www.tavernadellagelosia.it/en/)
Alberobello:
Camping Bosco Selva (http://www.campingboscoselva.it/uk/default.html)
Macelleria Braceria Vito Donghia Is both a butcher shop and a barbecue place ((https://macelleria-braceria-donghia.business.site/)
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